Electrotherapeutic appliance



Patented Aug. 24, 1926. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. CULTRA, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE. Application filed October 20, 1924. Serial No. 744,740.

My invention relates to electrical a pacurrent from the distributer by an independratus for therapeutic uses. It is the o ject ent conductor. The body portions of the apof my invention to provide appliances by plicators are preferably of flexible, waterwhich electrical current of any suitableand proof, insulating material, such as rubber,

6 desired character may be applied to the body, so as to be readily conformable to the cont-he application of the electric current being tours of the body, and to be substantially confined or limited to a definite area, the unaffected by the saponaceous or other area of treatment being a portioned or subliquids which may be employed for securing divided into a plurality o subordinate areas eflicient electrical connection between the 10 through which the current is pased succesapplicator-contacts and the skin of the pasively' or in a definite progression, so that tient. The contacts are of suitable conduceach subordinate area may receive the current tive material, usually metal of a substanfor a redetermined period of time and the tially non-corrodible character, such as pure severa areas or conductive paths receive the tin, and are aflixed to or embedded in the p 15 current in a definite sequence, whereby to sheet of insulating material so as to be exeflect a progressive and rhythmic or uniposed at one side thereof. Separate Wires formly recurrent cycle of act-ion upon the are connected with the several contact-plates, tissues comprised within the entire area and for practical convenience the wires from under treatment. Some of the therapeutic each applicator may be grouped in a cable,

30 effects and advantages attainable by my lmthe latter extending to a plug or multipleproved appliances will be set forth hereinterminal connector adapted for detachable after, as the same may be more readily per connection with a corresponding device ceivedwhen considered as functions of the permanently connected with the distributer. ap aratus. Referring to the distributer represented in i n the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is Fig. 2, there is provided a casing consisting a diagrammatic view of an apparatus emof apair of cup-shaped members 10 and 11 bodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an axial having flanges 12 at the open ends thereof, section of the distributor employed therein, said flanges being secured together by screws Fig. 3 is a dia rammatic view, representing 13 which are also employed to secure the 35 30 the use of app icators in which the multiple casing to the supports 14. At the closed contacts have a circuitous or annular arends of the casing-members 10 and 11 are rangement, and Fig. 4 is a similar view, plates 15 and 16 of insulating material. representin the use of applicators having Near the central portions of said insulating the multip e contacts in a rectilinear arplates are secured the continuous conductive 35" ran ment. rings 17 and 18, with which the wires 19 and e apparatus provided b my invention 20 are connected, said wires being extended consists, broadly, of a distri uter and pairs from the casing through insulating bushof multi le-contact ap licators which are ings, and being connected with the desired connect with the distri uter to receive cursource of current-supply for the distributer. 40 rent therefrom. The distributer is supplied Upon the outer portions of the plates 15 and from any suitable source with'electrical can 16, concentric with the rings 17 and 18, are rent of any desired therapeutic character, secured the segmented rings 21 and 22, and such as'high-frequenc alternating or diawith the several segments of said rings are thermic current, law requency alternating, connected the wires 23 and 24., which are 45 sinusoidal or shocking current, direct curextended from the casing through insulating rent either uniform or pulsating, or any bushings, then grouped into cables and carcombination of the various-forms of electriried to the plugs or multiple-terminal concal current which may be employed for nectors for connection with corresponding therapeutic uses. The applicators are ordi members on the applicator-cables. A shaft 25 60' narily provided in pairs, adaptedfor laceis mounted revolubly at the center of the disment upon substantial! "opposite si es oftributer-casing, said shaft extending through the portion of the b0 y which is to be apackingland 26, and carrying at its outer treated, and are characterized by multiple end a clutc -plate 27 adapted for connection contacts, or plates of conductive material with a driving member 28. The latter IS II which are separated and insulated from each actuated by any mechanical means suitable other, and each of which is supplied with for rotating the distributer-shaft continu- I upon the al l i and 39 ,39"

ously at the desired speed. Upon the shaft within the casing is secured a spoolshaped collar 29, to the ends of which are secured the bars b0 and 31. Upon said bars are mounted the brushes and 83 which are insulated from the bars and adapted to continuously engage the rings 17 and 1.8 during rotation of the shaft 25. Also mounted upon and insulated from said bars are the brushes 3i and which engage the segmented rings 21 and 22 so as to successively engage the segments thereot during rotation of the shaft. The pairs 0t brushes on the respectire bars are connected to each other by wires and 37, so that through said wires and the brushes the ring 17 is connected successively with the segments or the ring 21, while at the same intervals the ring 18 is connected with the correspendingsegments of the ring The distrilniter-casing may be lilled with a suitable insulating fluid, such as oil, to prevent arcing at the brushes when high-tension current is being used.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is indicated a pair of applicators comprising the insulating sheets 38 and 39 which carry, respectively, the contact-plates 38 3S" 38 35%, said contactplates being arranged in circuitousv r annular series. From the contact-plates oi the applicators the wires l0 and extend to the multipleterminal plugs or connectors 4,2 and 4L3, which are dctachably connected with the corresponding members and carried at the ends of the distrilniter-cables containing the wires and i l. The wiring is so arranged that the contactplates 38, 38 are connected respectively with the segments 21, 21 of the ring 21 of the distributor, and the contact-plates 39, 39 similarly connected, respectively, with the sc cuts 22, 22" ot' the disouter-ring it will be seen that when the applicators are placed upon opposite sides ot the body, electric current supplied to the di tenterminals 19 and 20, and titer-shattrotated, the current will be caused to ucs between successive pairs of lCiluJ. :ontacts, 38- to 39, 38 to .7 so on throughout the cycle of operaitpplicat'ors with annularly arranged series oi contacts. such above referred to, may be t:(lYSYlllQIQOLJlv enuilo ed For treatment of the abdominal region of the trunk, one of the appli :ators being placed at the heel: beneath the body, and the other placed men. so that each contact'plate at the upp'c applicator i substantially vertically opposite the corresponding contactplate the lower applicator, as indicated di tically in 3. For treatments or the abdominal area, itis prefer able that the applicators be so arranged that bones, muscles,

pass through the interven-.

the progression or sequence in which the current is supplied to the several contacts be clockwise in direction at the anterior applicator, thus corresponding with the direction oi peristaltic action in the colon, which is norn'ially so positioned in the subjacent tissues as to substantially parallel the annular series of contacts. The rate at which the distributor is operated n'iay also be con trolled so that the rate of progression of the cellular stimmus, caused by the passage of the electric current through the successive paths between coresponding pairs of the applicator-contacts, will substantially coincide with the normal rate of progression of peristaltic wavesin the colon.

In Fig. 4%, I haverepresented diagrammatically a pair of applicators fli and d7, having-contacts 46, 46* 47, 47 arranged in a rectilinear series. Applicators of this type are suitable for use on anatomical areas, such as the arms, legs and spine, wherein the general direction of the structural organs, such as blood-vessels, nerves, and lymphatic canals, is longitudinal, or so as to be substantially parallel with the series of applicator-contacts. These applicators are so connected with the distributer that the electric current will be supplied to transversely opposite pairs of the contacts, such as 46 to 47, 46 to 47 and soon. The direction of progression or sequence in which the current is suppliedto the succesisve pairs of contacts, may be chosen according to the efiectswhich are desired to be attained, being either from the proximal to the distal; or from the distal to the proximal extremities of the area of treatment.

By the use of applicators having multiple contacts, supplied with electric current successively or 1 progressively from a suitable (llStflbllt el lIl accordance with my invention, it will be aparent that the cellular stimulus of the tissues in the area of treatment may be applied in a wave-like manner, th tissues in the successive paths traversed by the current first receiving a stimulus during the passage of the current, that! reacting physiologically to such stimulus, and finally, if the rate of motion of the distributer is properly timed, having a period of rest or quiescence in which to resume a normal activity. It will also be apparent that by the arrangcm ent of the multiple-contact applicators so that the current passes between. successive transversely opposite pairs of the contacts, the distribution of the current throughout the area of treatment rate conductors connected with the several contact-plates and distributively connected with a source of electrical energy.

2. in an electro-therapeutic appliance, a pair of applicators each comprising a flexible sheet of insulating material and a series of conductive contact-plates having exposed surfaces at one side of said sheet, and separate conductors connected with the several contact-plates and distributively connected with a source of electrical energy, whereby said electrical energy may be transmitted progressively through successive portions of a body interposed between the ap-- plicators.

- JAMES A. CULTRA. 

